Our grand tour of southern Spain February 15th Day Thirty-three Saumur in France

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We drive to Saumur on Loire and park up at the camping car site on the island. Having stocked up in the local LeClerc just before hand, we drive the mile to the campsite with an annoying bump-bump-bump sound coming from beneath Bryony. We aren’t sure what it is but it’s definitely something rubbing against a wheel somewhere as it speeds up and slows down as she does. We stop and inspect tyres. No flats and nothing obvious to be seen. A mystery!

Set up, we walk back along the river front, admiring some of the stunning old French villas with their fantastic views of the far bank and its splendid buildings. We pass some little houseboats with big outboard engines on the back of each; some derelict, rotting, flat bottomed river skiffs – quite old, still tied up but with bilges full of water. Such a tragic shame. I always feel, having built my own boat and several canoes, quite sad when I see such dereliction in small boats. Who were their last owners? When were they last used? Is there no one left to admire and restore them? A 15-minute walk into the town centre along a lovely river bank with great wavy, abstract impressionist reflections of buildings and a slowly setting sun casting golden hues across the water. Perfect!

We wander the streets in the late afternoon in search of the medieval centre and I am disappointed to find that it only comprises of three or four old timber buildings. On the other hand, the 18^th and 19^th century buildings with their wrought iron balconies, ornate wall decorations, fancy windows and elegant wooden shutters, speak of a former time when exquisite architectural taste was all the rage.

The Camping Car site on the island is under trees by the sports centre. There are thirty marked bays and 6amp EHU pillars throughout. For a change the services point is actually within the parking area and not outside it. Access, as always with camping car sites, is via a barrier. You pay at the service point – you may need to buy a camping car pass card first, for five euros. Our French neighbour is using two sockets out of the four on the pillar, but there are plenty spare either side of us. but still enough.

Despite the tree cover, I brave the cold night and try some stargazing between the gaps in the tall slender branches. The light pollution is horrendous but despite this I am chuffed to bits. Firstly I manage to star hop and locate the invisible Rosette Nebulae to the left of Orion. And then, even more surprisingly, I manage to get a quick 60 images before the clouds close in and the branches of trees move into the shot. Well, more accurately , Orion and the nebula move out of shot to be blocked by the trees.  I’m not hopeful about image quality post processing – the histograms show awful light pollution and each image in review mode just looks like a speckled orange skin! Ho Hum, we shall see tomorrow night but for now at midnight, it is time for bed. I just need to pack away and put all this Astro gear back on the front passenger seat and close the door and enter the habitation door and close that; and then alarm the vehicle – without waking our neighbours either side. Its hard work is this motorhoming astrophotography malarkey!

Useful information:

Route: A63 – N1010 – A10 – A83 – F743 – F938 – F347

Distance: 260 miles

Costs: campsite for two nights 24 euros; fuel: 70 euros

Campsite: https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/marker.php?id=27723

Postscript: sometimes I surprise myself. My best astro shot to date!